Visualization and measurement of turbulent flow inside a Submerged Entry Nozzle and off the ports

This work presents the results of the analysis of the turbulent flow inside a Submerged Entry Nozzle and outside the ports of a model using visualization and PIV techniques. The Submerged Entry Nozzle model consists of a vertical, constant diameter tube with two rounded exit ports found at the bottom with a downward angle of 15 degrees each. The visualization method is the first step in analyzing the characteristics of the port's internal and external flow. To enhance the visualizations, a LED light source is employed to illuminate the Submerged Entry Nozzle, which reduces the reflections in the images. Also, a transparent cell consisting of a cubic volume with reduced dimensions was used to capture images from the high-speed camera and to record the flow pattern. To calculate the fluid velocity within the Submerged Entry Nozzle and close to the exit ports, laser-illuminated Particle Imaging Velocimetry was used. We confirm the previously reported formation of vortical structures closed to the exit ports that interact with each other altering the swirl motion of the exit flow, previously reported. Visualization and Particle Imaging Velocimetry results were compared with the numerical simulations results. Experimental scaled model and Computational Fluid Dynamics results were used to enhance the findings of the Submerged Entry Nozzle internal flow. On the other hand, physical model and Smoothed-Particle Hydrodynamics results were used to expand the information of the jet flow outside the exit ports. Both physical and numerical results display a high turbulent flow behavior close to and off the exit ports of the Submerged Entry Nozzle. Experimental and numerical methods may be used together to develop a method to design a better Submerged Entry Nozzle and increase the quality of the steel slab.